Six high school football coaches in Fairfax County, Virginia, are considering forfeiting regional playoff games if Hayfield Secondary School is allowed to compete.
Hayfield has come under scrutiny this season over accusations the school skirted student eligibility requirements. Fairfax County Public Schools cleared Hayfield of any wrongdoing, but earlier in November, the Virginia High School League (VHSL), which governs high school athletics in the Commonwealth, banned Hayfield from postseason play for two years.
The ban came around only two weeks before the playoffs were slated to begin. Hayfield parents responded quickly, appealing the ban to the Fairfax County Circuit Court, which decided to grant Hayfield a temporary injunction, allowing the school to compete in this year’s playoffs.
“While we respect the court’s authority and its process for addressing such issues, the decision to allow this team to participate in the playoffs after the governing VHSL body deemed them ineligible, creates a system where rules can be bent, broken, or overlooked without meaningful consequences,” the coaches wrote in a letter obtained by WTOP’s partners at 7News.
A total of eight teams are set to play for the Class 6 Region C title, starting Thursday:
- #1 Hayfield vs. #8 Thomas Edison
- #2 Lake Braddock vs. #7 Mount Vernon
- #3 West Springfield vs. #6 South County
- #4 Fairfax vs. #5 West Potomac
Mount Vernon’s coach was the only one who did not join in the letter to oppose Hayfield’s inclusion.
“After thorough discussions and careful deliberation, we are united in considering various actions to include, but not limited to, a forfeiture of the playoffs should the ineligible team remain in the playoffs,” the letter reads.
“This decision does not come lightly, as we understand the disappointment and ramifications for our athletes and supporters. However, we believe this course of action is necessary to uphold the principles of fairness and accountability that we are entrusted to teach.”
Hayfield has been under the microscope since February, when it hired former Freedom-Woodbridge football coach Darryl Overton, who led Freedom to the last two Class 6 state championships.
The VHSL said it believes Hayfield violated the league’s Proselytizing Rule, which states, “No member school or group of individuals representing the school shall subject a student from another school to undue influence by encouraging him/her to transfer from one school to another for League activities.”
Hayfield has said all of its students met eligibility requirements, and that the school worked diligently with the VHSL before the season to ensure that was the case.
In a separate letter obtained by 7News, the chair of the City of Fairfax School Board, Carolyn Pitches, said she’s deeply concerned about the allegations against Hayfield. Pitches said FCPS chose this summer to forgo an independent investigation into the accusations, and in her letter urged the school system to engage with an external firm to do so.
“Such an effort would not only uphold ethical standards but also help rebuild trust among students, families, and community members,” Pitches wrote. “We also request that the findings of this investigation be published to ensure transparency, demonstrate accountability, and reaffirm the district’s commitment to fairness and integrity in both educational and athletic programs.”
Fairfax County school leaders met Tuesday with the six coaches threatening to boycott.
In a letter released Wednesday night, school system Superintendent Michelle Reid said after meeting with the “coaches and principals whose school communities have been most directly impacted by this situation,” FCPS will be moving forward with an external investigation of all student athlete transfers as well as reviewing the division’s athletic protocols and procedures.
Reid added that she’ll be holding two town hall meetings, “one for our schools in Class 6 Region C and one for our schools in Class 6 Region D, regarding our athletic regulations and practices.”
“As we navigate uncharted waters ahead in youth athletics, we must anchor our practices in clear rules and accountability systems that apply to all regardless of circumstances. Access to excellence and opportunity — that is the American dream,” Reid wrote.
Hayfield is set to host Thomas Edison High School in the first round Thursday night.
InsideNoVa and WTOP’s Ciara Wells contributed to this report.
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